As a ardent minimalist one must be very wary of collecting (collections can easily overturn the minimalist balance) but I will admit that it can be done easily enough through collecting books. I love books – there, I admitted it. I love all books, from fiction to academic texts and especially over-sized art books. Everything from fashion to photography to design; the kind of books that make me caress the paper and take a deep breath in. Some of the very best come from Taschen.
A great deal of my love for books is the design of said books and their typography. The perfect balance of black type on crisp white pages make me smile; I have a deep appreciation for authors who even choose specific fonts for their novels. Taschen has recently addressed my love of books and of typography with a two volume book (yes, they did it just for me of course) with the release of Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles, Vol. 1. This book is part of a two-volume tome records the evolution of various typefaces from the 17th to 20th centuries by prominent typographers and designers of those eras. The history of typefaces will make choosing your fonts even more ‘perfect’. And the beauty of this collection is not only what it contains within it pages but also what it offers outside the bounded book – exclusive access to online library with over 2,400 downloadable fonts. If that alone isn’t worth the significant cover price, then this book isn’t for you. If you want to buy it just because it looks pretty – don’t. But if you love font as much as I do then buy it. And I will (admit the red/black/white tomes will match well with my decor).
Available through Amazon.